Locomotive boiler



July 11, 1944. B, E. LARSQN i LOCOMOTIVE' BOILER l Filed April '7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 9255 a?? l j l. 'ji/yay @anew 0 v `,25' if 013022 July 11, 1944. B. E. LARsoN LOCOMOTIVE'BOILER Filed April 7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 boiler.

Patented July 11, 1944 LGCOMOTIV BILR Bert E. Larson, Park Ridge, Ill., assigner to Locomotive Firebox Company, Chicago, Ill., a. corporation of Delaware Application April 7, 1941, Serial No. 387,253

9 Claims.

'This invention relates to improvements in locomotive boilers and it consists of the matters hereiriafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' The modern railroad locomotive has a boiler of considerable length and requires a rebox evap- 'orating surface area commensurate therewith.

This surface area may be obtained by the use of a combustion chamber in connection 'with one or more thermic syphons. Syphons of this type in extensive use, include a relatively long, flat, hollow body disposed longitudinally of the firebox, the body having one or more inlets for the intake of water from a lower part of the boiler and at least one elongated outlet or discharge that is usually fixed in and opens upwardly through the crown sheet for communication with the steam and water space of the boiler thereabove. The sidewalls or sheets of the flat hollow body are staybolted together and the top end of said walls or sheets terminate as a lateral flange that is welded in a suitable elongated opening in the crown sheet. A

The crown sheet and the side sheets of the firebox are connected by staybol'ts with the associated parts of the wrapper or roof sheet of the The staybolts employed in connection with the side sheets are relatively short. The staybolts employed in connection with the crown sheet increase in length from the sides of the crown sheet to the longitudinal median line thereof and which line coincides with the like line of the boiler.

When such syphons are being installed in the iirebox, the standard practive is to remove three longitudinal rows of crown staybolts for each syphon. The center one of said rows is located over or in line with the elongated discharge or outlet of the syphon, while the side rows are located in line with the center lines of the flanges at the top end of the body of the syphon being installed. The side rows of crown staybolts are replaced by others during the installation of the syphon while those in the center row are omitted. The ica-:i formerly carried by the crown staybolts in said center row is thus transferred to the replaced crcwn staybolts insaid side rows and which have their bottom ends operatively secured in said top end flanges of the syphon body.

In the larger and longer boilers, the irebox is usually equipped with a plurality of relatively long longitudinally extending syphons spaced laterally of the rebox. In such installations there is necessarily removed not only the staybolts before mentioned, but also extensive portions of the crown sheet which tends to weaken its ability t0 resist forces tending' to distort these parts in a lateral direction. The result is that there is an abnormal separation 'or spreading of the top ends of the syphon side walls with respect to each other, the cumulative eiect of which is to cause an undesired amount of movement of the side sheets in an outward direction, This outward movement of the side sheets has the eiect of tending to flatten the crown sheet, therefore causing a downward movement thereof.

As the crown sheet is connected to the top of the wrapper or roof sheet of the boiler shell above the crown sheet, by the crown staybolts men- Y tioned, said bolts tend to pull this part of the wrapper or roof sheet downwardly. To resist this action, the top of the wrapper sheet is usually made of a thicker sheet metal, and while this `helps considerably, it does not overcome objections produced by the sheet movements described. In such sheet movement, in some instances, a lateral spreading occurs between the top end of the side walls or sheets of the syphon body, as before explained, and associated crown sheet parts and this spreading action `imposes an exceedingly high stress on the top row of staybolts of the syphon. The sta'ybolts in this row, which are relatively short, are thus placed under tension. Under temperature changes, the sheets involved expand and contract and this places a heavy duty demand upon such staybolts, with the results that a leakage may develop about the ends of some of said bolts in said top row thereof .in the syphon body. This is a condition desired to be avoided. In some installations, as when the rebox has a relatively long combustion chamber, it might be desired to employ la vplurality of laterally spaced syphons in the main nre chamber of the rebox as well as one or more syphons in the combustion chamber. Under such conditions lin order to group the syphons with respect to the highest central portion ofthe crown sheet, longitudinally of the rebox, the syphons in the combustion chamber are disposed in longitudinal planes, intermediate those .in the main fire chamber. In order to employ syphons with bodies as long as possible under such conditions, the front ends of the syphons in the main fire chamber are extended forwardly beyond the rear ends of the syphons in the combustion chamber, so that said ends overlap one another. Y With such an installation, the edges of the flanges of the syphons in the main re chamber and the edges of the flanges of the syphons in the combustion chamber are disposed in the same longitudinal plane at the overlap. Therefore, in this area of the overlap, a much longer portion of the crown sheet must be removed to accommodate the installation and thereafter this area must be made as strong as possible at this overlap, so as to resist any lateral spreading in this area.

The greatest range of spreading tendency in the discharge or outlet of any one syphon is toward the central portion of such discharge or outlet and this tendency normally decreases toward its ends. However, when the ends terminate in an overlapping relation with respect to other syphons, there is also a very considerable tendency to spread at the overlapping ends. The reason for this is that an abnormal amount of crown sheet expanse has been removed in that lateral Zone.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide in a locomotive boiler having a relatively long syphon equipped rebox, a simple, inexpensive and efcient means for resisting the lateral spreading of the syphon top and associated side sheets and crown sheet parts where the discharge or outlet for the syphon opens through the crown sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for the purpose mentioned which presents only a minimum interference to the free passage of water from the syphon body into the water and steam space of the boiler above the crown sheet.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for this purpose, which is devoid of moving parts and which may be applied to the syphon before the same is installed in place in the associated rebox.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide means for the purpose mentioned which is so located as to be entirely surrounded by Water at all times and therefore has no parts extending through to the re side of the associated sheets.

Again, it is an object of the invention to provide means for the purpose mentioned, which presents no appreciable interference to the washing off of the top surface of the crown sheet, after the removal of the plugs provided in the back sheet of the boiler for this purpose.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the several advantages thereof, will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the rebox end of a locomotive boiler embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal fragmentary, sectional view through a part of the boiler as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and more particularly shows the arrangement of the top end flanges of the syphons in the crown sheet.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View through the rebox end of the boiler on a somewhat enlarged scale, as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View, on an enlarged scale of parts appearing in Fig. 2 and which will be more fully referred to later.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, through parts appearing in Fig. 1 as taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of a part of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 5 showing a still further modified View of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a vertical detail sectional view through parts appearing in Fig. 7 as taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a vertical detail sectional view, through a part of Fig. 7 as taken on the line 9-9 thereof.

Fig. 10 is a perspective View illustrating the invention as applied to a water steaming and circulating element for a locomotive firebox and which element is of the side sheet circulator type and which will be more fully referred to later.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention, the improved boiler includes a barrel or shell that is indicated as a Whole as at I8 and in the rear end thereof is the usual fireboX that is indicated as a whole as at I I.

The rebox shown herein is of the combustion chamber type, and includes a crown sheet I2 which merges into the side sheets I3. I4 indicates the inner back sheet and I5 indicates the inner throatl sheet of the rebox. The crown sheet I2 extends forwardly of the transverse plane of the inner throat sheet I5 to form the top of the combustion chamber I6 which is relatively long. This chamber is closed at the front end by a flue sheet I1 and the bottom I8 of said chamber joins the front top end of the throat sheet I5.

The outer back sheet of the boiler is indicated at I9, the outer side sheets are indicated at 20 and the outer throat sheet is indicated at 2| Said sheets cooperate with the top rear end portion 22 of the boiler shell in forming the back water leg 23, the side water legs 24 and front throat 25 respectively, all in communication with the steam and water space 26 of the boiler in the usual manner. The back and side water legs along With the front throat are bottomed by a mud ring 21 and the inner and outer back sheets I4 and I9 respectively are formed to coact in producing the usual fuel door opening for the iirebox. In the outer back sheet I9 of the boiler are washout plugs I9a and which may be removed vvhen it is desired to wash off the top surface of the crown sheet in a boiler washout operation.

The side sheets I3 of the ireboX and the outer side sheets 28 of the boiler shell are connected together by relatively short staybolts 20a while the crown sheet I2 of the firebox and that part of the roof sheet 22 above the same are connected together by crown staybolts 22a which are longer than the staybolts 28a. In this respect, it is pointed out that the staybolts 20a and 22a are arranged in rows extending longitudinally and transversely of the firebox as a whole.

In the flrebox is provided a plurality of sets of water steaming and circulating elements in the form of the well known thermic syphons. In the present instance. there is a set of three of such elements in the main fire chamber, each indicated as a whole as at 28 and there is a set of two of such elements in the combustion chamber, and each indicated as a Whole as at 29 in Fig. l. These elements are each arranged longitudinally of the rebox.

In the case of the syphons 28, one is disposed in the longitudinal median line of the frebox and the other two are separated laterally therefrom, each by a part I2a of the crown sheet. In the case of the syphons 29, each is disposed in the plane of the crown sheet parts I2a-I2a that separate or space the syphons 28 apart.

Each syphon 28, as here shown, includes a at hollow upright body of substantial length and which includes laterally spaced side walls Sl--SI and rounded front and rear end walls 32 and 33 respectively. The side walls 3l-3l of the body are connected together by means of rows of staybolts Sil- 3o. rIhe side walls 3l-3l and the iront and rear end walls 32 and 33 respectively are formed at the top with an outwardly rounded corner 35 which connects said walls to a lateral iange 35 extending about the top end of the syphon body.

Each syphon body has a downwardly and forwardly bulged bottom El" and said bulged bottom extends forwardly of the body and merges into a tubular neel; Sil that provides the water inlet for ie body. The upper rear end of the bulged bottom merges oy a rounded corner into the rear end wall 33 of the body.

Each syphon 2e which is shown as of a shape diierent from that of syphon 2S, includes a hollow, upright body shown stantially a 'Y shape.

erein as sub t. y includes lats llo-e l a. downwardly ed :fi n* and rear vely, the side walls ner by rows of staybolts 35a. 4ront and rear end walls of the with an outwardiy rotin-ded V.i connects said wane to a lateral flange Sd that extends about the top end of the syphon.

A part of t.; rear end wall 33o of the body is bulged and merges into a dovmwardly extending tubular neck that provides the water inlet for the body.

In order to make the outlet for the ilanged top end of the body of each syp'ion as long as possible, said syphons are disposed in longitudinal planes between those of the bodies il of the syphons 2d. also, the rear end of the bodies of the syphons d extend rearwardly of the front end of the bodies of the syphons 25, as best appears in Fig. l so as to provide an area of overlap which appears in Figs. 2 and 4.

To install the syphons in the firebox, suitable openings @il are made in the crown sheet to receive the flanged top ends of the bodies of the syphons 2%. Also, suitable openings are made in the ront throat sheet l and in the bottom i3 of the combustion chamber to receive the associated ends of the tubular inlet necks Se and 33a. respectively of said syphons and J.

It is pointed out that the flanged top end of the bodies for the syplions 2B and 252 each has a width that approximates the width or lateral spacing between four rows of crown staybolts 22a. Thus, En forming the elongated openings d@ and #il for said flanged top ends, a part of three rows of staybolts Za are removed from those areas in which said openings are formed. After the top end flanges have been fitted to and welded in said openings, those bolts of the two side rows thereof which line up with the flanges 36 and @Se respectively are replaced and those staybolts disposed in the area of the discharge end of each syphon are omitted. Thereafter, the respective inlet necks Sait- 38a are welded in place in their openings in the throat sheet i5 and in the bottom ES of the combustion chamber respectively.

As before pointed out, the flanges StL-36a, of the bodies of the syphons are as wide as those parts lilo of the crown sheet l2 disposed between them so that at the area of overlap as appears in Fig. a, a considerable transverse part of the crown sheet must be out away at this' point. When the ilanged top ends of said body are welded in position by the lines of welds 2, it is apparent that Where side edge parts of the anges 35a of the syphons 29 engage side edge parts of the flanges 3 of the syphons 28, they are welded together by' parts of said lines of welding. Shorter lines 43 of transverse welds are employed to weld the end edges of the Vflanges EE-Silla to the end edges of the crown sheet parts ltd in line therewith.

The crown stayoolts Era which line up with the side and end parts of the iianges are replaced to operatively connect said flanges to that part of the roof sheet 22 of the boiler shell above the same.

It will be apparent that the discharge or outlet for each syphon body is relatively long compared to its width. In boilers where the pres sure of the steam is relatively high, the tendency of said high pressure is to spread the .syphons apart at said discharge. In each individual syphon, the tendency is the greater at a point between the ends of the discharge or outlets and less toward said ends as before ex plained. When this spreading occurs, an exceedingly high stress is imposed upon the staybolts in the top row of bolts Sil- 34a in the body of the syphons 2li-29, adjacent the rounded corner which joins the side walls of the body to its anges. When such spreading, which is undesirable, occurs this depresses the crown sheet and bulges the upper part of the side sheets outwardly in an effort to relieve the crown sheet movement. As the crown sheet is connected by the crown staybolts 22a to that part of the roof sheet 22 boiler shell thereabove, this places said bolts in tension and pulls said part of the roof sheet downwardly therewith and distorts those parts of the boiler shell where said part 22 joins the outer side sheets 2b of said shell.

To reduce the lateral spreading of the top end of the body defining the discharge or the outlet for each syphon, I provide a plurality of bridge members which span the discharge of each of the syphon bodies and which members are so secured at their ends as to resist such spreading. Preferably said bridge members are arranged in operative relation with respect to the water side of the parts to which they are connected.

In Fig. 5 one of said bridge members is indicated at 45. It is in the form of a vertically edgewise disposed plate wider at the top 45a than at the bottom 45h and having side or end parts 45e curved to lit snugly upon the curved corners 35 (or 35o) that connect the associated side walls of the syphon body to their flanges. When each bridge plate or member has been properly located, it is welded in place as at 4S.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a form of member lll which is lower than that shown in Fig. 5 so that its top edge is substantially ilush with the top surfaces of the anges.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a further modified form of member i3 preferably made as a. forging. It has a cylindrical body part 48a of a length to 'lt between the side walls of the syphon body and an upwardly and outwardly extending arm 48h at each end. The inner portion of each arm fits its associated curved corner 35 of the syphon body and the outer portion of each arm is straight to extend onto the flange 36 of the syphon. The arms are then welded in place as at 49. It is apparent that the member 48 braces the parts engaged and that the body 48a is dropped with respect to said arms 48h. With this arrangement only a minimum amount of obstruction is presented to the washout water when the top of the crown sheet is being washed off after the removal of the plugs 19a in the back sheet I9.

As before mentioned, in the individual syphon, the spreading tendency before mentioned is greater at the mid portion of the syphon discharge than at either end portion. To overcome this unequal division of said spreading tendency, I space the elements at the central parts of said discharges closer than at certain of the ends thereof.

In the overlap area appearing in Figs. 2 and 4 as provided by the associated ends of the outlets or discharges of the bodies of the syphons 28 and 29 respectively, I also place said members relatively close together longitudinally of said outlets or discharges and thereby all of said members in said area coact to stiien said area transversely to the extent necessary to compensate for the portions removed from said area.

It is apparent that by providing the bridge members mentioned, they cooperate collectively to rigidly brace the crown sheet transversely. This bracing eiIect substantially reduces the spreading of the top end of the syphons which causes depression of the crown sheet and subsequent downward movement of that part 22 of the roof sheet of the boiler shell above the crown sheet.

Thus, even in long fireboxes, in which syphons having long discharges or outlets are employed, the crown sheet is held more nearly to its original cross sectional contour even under heavy boiler pressures. There results such diminished or restricted movement of crown and Wrapper sheets that severe distortion is prevented and breakage or rupture minimized.

As the bridge members are disposed to present only an edge to the water issuing out of the outlets or discharges into the steam and water spa-oe of the boiler, they do not choke or resist water circulation to an appreciable extent.

The said bridge plates or members may be applied and welded to the associated syphon before the latter is` installed in place in a iirebox. As said bridge members are rigidly secured to the syphon, there are no moving parts which require attention or servicing. Also, as said members are disposed upon the water side of the associated sheet parts of the syphon and are never in communication with the re in the rebox, they cannot burn out or cause burning out of said associated sheet parts.

In Fig. 10, one form of the invention is illustrated as embodied in a Water steaming and circulating element 28:0 that includes a substan tially V shaped hollow body 3 Irc, the side walls of which are connected together by staybolts 34x. Said side walls and the end walls of the body terminate at the top in a lateral flange 36:1: that surrounds the outlet for the body and is adapted to be secured in the crown sheet of the rebox. The bottom apex end of the body has a duplex `inlet in the form of laterally extending tubes 37a: that are adapted to be secured at their ends, one in each side sheet of the iirebox in which the element is installed. A plurality of bridge plates :i533 similar to the bridge plates 45. extend across the outlet end of the outlet at the top end of the body and are xed at their ends to those parts o-f the body at opposite sides of the outlet as before mentioned.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the anpended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a locomotive boiler having sheets forming a rebox therein, a Water steaming and circulating element in the firebox and having an elongated tubular outlet fixed in and opening through'one of the sheets forming the firebox so as to communicate with the water space of the boiler, staybolts connecting opposite sides of said tubular outlet together, and a plurality of members disposed edgewise above said staybolts and extending across said outlet and dividing the same into passages and having opposed portions immovably attached to opposite sides of the extremity of said tubular outlet f whereat the same connects with said first-mentioned sheet and resisting lateral spreading of said side Walls at said outlet under boiler pressure.

2. In combination with a locomotive boiler having sheets forming a rebox therein, a water steaming and circulating element in the firebox having an elongated tubular outlet that is iixed in and opens through one of said sheets of the rebox into the steam and water space of the boiler, said element including side sheets, and a plurality of edgewise disposed members spaced longitudinally of and extending across said tubular outlet and dividing the same into passages, said members having opposed sides attached to the upper extremities of the Waterside only of said sheets at said outlet and resisting lateral spreading thereof under boiler pressure.

3. In combination with a locomotive boiler having sheets forming a, firebox therein, la water steaming and circulating element in the rebox having an elongated tubular outlet that is xed in and opens through one of said sheets of the firebox into the steam and water space of the boiler, said element including side sheet members, and a plurality of edgewise disposed members spaced longitudinally of and extending across said tubular outlet and each having end edge portions fitted and welded to the upper extremities of the water side only of said sheet members and formed for resisting lateral spreading thereof at said outlet under boiler pressure.

4. In combination with a locomotive boiler having a flrebox therein that includes a crown sheet, a water steaming and circulating element in the iirebox having an elongated tubular discharge end that is xed in and opens through the crown sheet into the steam and Water space of the boiler, said element including side sheet members and rows of staybolts connecting the same together, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced, edgewise disposed plate members spaced above and independent of the top row of staybolts and having end edge portions fitted and welded to the upper extremities of the water side of said side sheet members only and formed for resisting lateral spreading thereof under boiler pressure.

5. In combination with a locomotive boiler having a firebox therein that includes a relatively long crown sheet, a plurality of laterally spaced water steaming and circulating elements in one end of the rebox and extending longitudinally thereof and at least one water steaming and circulating element.l in the other end of the nrebox and extending longitudinally thereof and disposed in a plane offset laterally from those of the first mentioned elements, each element including a lateral ange at the top which is fixed in the crown sheet of the firebox and which denes the discharge for the associated element into the steam and water space of the boiler above the crown sheet, said elements being so relatively arranged in the irebox, that the bodies thereof extend beyond one another longitudinally and overlap in a part of the area of the crown sheet, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced tie members which extend across the discharge of each syphon body and which are fixed to opposite portions of said body adjacent said discharge to resist lateral spreading of said bodies at its discharge, said tie members associated with each body being spaced closer together at the area of overlap than at certain points spaced longitudinally away from said area.

6. A water steaming and circulating element of the kind described and including a hollow body having an elongated ilat tubular outlet deiined by spaced side and end walls connected by merging portions to a surrounding flange adapted for attachment in a locomotive boiler rebox sheet, a row of staybolts arranged inwardly of said merging portions and connecting said side walls of the element together, and stay members disposed in said outlet outwardly of said staybolts and spaced longitudinally and extending transversely of said outlet and dividing the same into passages, said stay members having edge portions rigidly attached to the Water side of said side walls at said merging portions and operating independently of said stay bolts to resist lateral spreading of said side walls at said outlet.

7. A water steaming and circulating element of the kind described and including a hollow body having an elongated at tubular outlet delined by spaced side and end walls connected by corner portions to a surrounding flange adapted for attachment in a locomotive boiler firebox sheet, a row of staybolts arranged inwardly of said corner portions and connecting said side walls of the element together, and stay members disposed in said outlet outwardly of said staybolts and spaced longitudinally and extending ransversely thereof and dividing the same into passages, said stay members having edge portions extending at least part way around certain of said corner portions and rigidly attached to the water side of said side walls and operating independently of said stay bolts to resist lateral spreading of said side walls at said outlet.

8. A water steaming and circulating element of the kind described and including a hollow body having an elongated fiat tubular outlet defined by spaced side and end walls connected by corner portions to a surrounding flange adapted for attachment in a locomotive boiler iirebox sheet, a row of staybolts arranged inwardly of said corner portions and connecting said side Walls of the element together, and stay members disposed in said outlet outwardly of said staybolts and spa-ced longitudinally and extending transversely thereof and dividing the same into passages, said stay members extending around certain of said corner portions into a plane outwardly of said iiange and rigidly attached to the water side of said side walls and operating independently of said stay bolts to resist spreading of said side walls at said outlet.

9. A water steaming and circulating element of the kind described and including a hollow body having an elongated at tubular outlet dened by spaced side and end walls connected by merging portions to a surrounding flange adapted for attachment in a locomotive boiler rebox sheet, a row of stay bolts arranged inwardly of said merging portions and connecting said side walls of the element together, and stay members disposed in said outlet outwardly of said staybolts and spaced longitudinally and extending transverse of said outlet and dividing the same into passages, said stay members being made from flat plate stock and having opposite edges rigidly attached to the water side of said side walls at said merging portions and operating independently of said stay bolts to resist lateral spreading of said side walls at said outlet.

BERT E. LARSON. 

